Cheraghi Bidsorkhi Hossein, Faramarzi Negin, Ali Babar, Ballam Lavanya Rani, D'Aloia Alessandro Giuseppe, Tamburrano Alessio, Sarto Maria Sabrina
Department of Astronautical, Electrical, and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy.
Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering of Sapienza (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Mater Des. 2023 Jun;230:111970. doi: 10.1016/j.matdes.2023.111970. Epub 2023 May 2.
After the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, the use of face-masks is considered the most effective way to prevent the spread of virus-containing respiratory fluid. As the virus targets the lungs directly, causing shortness of breath, continuous respiratory monitoring is crucial for evaluating health status. Therefore, the need for a smart face mask (SFM) capable of wirelessly monitoring human respiration in real-time has gained enormous attention. However, some challenges in developing these devices should be solved to make practical use of them possible. One key issue is to design a wearable SFM that is biocompatible and has fast responsivity for non-invasive and real-time tracking of respiration signals. Herein, we present a cost-effective and straightforward solution to produce innovative SFMs by depositing graphene-based coatings over commercial surgical masks. In particular, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are integrated into a polycaprolactone (PCL) polymeric matrix. The resulting SFMs are characterized morphologically, and their electrical, electromechanical, and sensing properties are fully assessed. The proposed SFM exhibits remarkable durability (greater than1000 cycles) and excellent fast response time (∼42 ms), providing simultaneously normal and abnormal breath signals with clear differentiation. Finally, a developed mobile application monitors the mask wearer's breathing pattern wirelessly and provides alerts without compromising user-friendliness and comfort.
在新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情之后，佩戴口罩被认为是预防含病毒呼吸道飞沫传播的最有效方法。由于该病毒直接侵袭肺部，导致呼吸急促，持续的呼吸监测对于评估健康状况至关重要。因此，对能够实时无线监测人体呼吸的智能口罩（SFM）的需求受到了极大关注。然而，要实际应用这些设备，还需解决一些开发过程中的挑战。一个关键问题是设计一种可穿戴的智能口罩，它具有生物相容性，并且对呼吸信号进行无创实时跟踪时具有快速响应性。在此，我们提出一种经济高效且简便的解决方案，通过在商用外科口罩上沉积基于石墨烯的涂层来生产创新型智能口罩。具体而言，将石墨烯纳米片（GNPs）集成到聚己内酯（PCL）聚合物基体中。对所得的智能口罩进行形态表征，并全面评估其电学、机电和传感性能。所提出的智能口罩具有出色的耐用性（超过1000次循环）和优异的快速响应时间（约42毫秒），能同时清晰区分正常和异常呼吸信号。最后，开发的移动应用程序可无线监测口罩佩戴者的呼吸模式，并在不影响用户友好性和舒适度的情况下发出警报。
